Tennessee Vs Vandy – Vols Most Important Game In Years

Tennessee invades Vanderbilt’s Dudley Field tomorrow for a 3:00 Central Kick, and it is easily the Vols most important game in years.

The reasons are fairly easy to explain. First and foremost Tennessee needs to get back to a Bowl Game. It is hard to believe that a program as storied as Tennessee has not been in a bowl game since 2010. Derek Dooley was at the helm when Tennessee last got paid post season. The Vols lost on a controversial call late against North Carolina in the Music City Bowl in 2010. Three years of sitting at home for the holidays has humbled Vol Nation.

There was a time not long ago as a Tennessee fan where I scoffed at the lower tier bowl games. Music City Bowls,  Poulan Weed Eater Bowls, and Tangerine Bowls (showing my age with this one) were for teams with the word “State” in their name, teams from north of Kentucky, or Ole Miss.

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Now, living in reality after the apocalypse and scorched earth policies of Lane Kiffin and Derek Dooley, Tennessee fans just want to play in something with the word Bowl at the end. (insert Toilet Bowl joke here)It doesn’t matter if it is the Liberty Bowl or Music City Bowl, we just want to play in a post season event.

Tennessee’s Coach Butch Jones has some momentum going in Knoxville. He put together one of the best recruiting classes in the country last year and those freshman are playing up to that potential. He has a top five recruiting class awaiting now if he can close the deal. Vol faithful are dreaming of a defensive line of Derek Barnett, Khalil McKenzie, and Shy Tuttle. If Jones signs this group that is verbally committed, and can add a few committed elsewhere (ie DrewRichmond and Van Jefferson) the Vols will contend for the SEC east. I dare say they would be the favorite to win the east.

Tennessee must win this game for the momentum to continue and to make sure these future Vols become actual Vols. A loss to a Vanderbilt team that has returned to being a Vanderbilt football team will put some doubt in these recruits minds. This Vandy team is absolutely terrible. The talent is bad, but the coaching is actually worse than the talent. James Franklin would be bowling with this team I hate to say. A loss to this team would be hard to overcome in the recruiting world. Try explaining a loss to Derek Mason who lost to Temple at home.

Another reason it is the most important game is that the present Vols need the extra work. This is an extremely young team. Josh Dobbs needs as many reps as he can get over the next 3-4 weeks. Dobbs is going to be a tremendous quarterback at Tennessee, but he still needs work. For whatever reason Josh still struggles with the simplest of throws. If a receiver is wide open odds are that Josh overthrows him or underthrows him. If he is covered like a blanket, Josh will put it right where it has to be. Strange indeed. He has to work on this, and that will just take time.

The benefit of getting all of these freshman extra work is invaluable for the beginning of next season. This allows them to learn, it allows them to grow stronger, and it allows them to do so while having a little fun. It is vital to the progress of the program.

Last of all, it is important to the fan base. I can not imagine the gnashing of teeth and renting of clothes (look at your Bible if you don’t understand this one) by Vol fans if Vanderbilt beats Tennessee. It has gone on for two years now. It has to stop. The only thing in life more depressing to a Volunteer fan than a loss to Vanderbilt is another loss to Vanderbilt.

What I am about to say is not right, but it is simply the truth. If Tennessee loses to Vanderbilt, Vol fans will lose a lot of faith in Butch Jones. As a matter of fact, they will lose all faith in Butch Jones. There will be so much backlash on the social media sites that Twitter and facebook may blow up. I can see the Jones to Michigan, Please memes now. It is sad, but Tennessee fans are worn out.

Tennessee fans have invested in Jones and this team. What other fan base consistently puts near 100,000 fans in a stadium for a team that is under .500? Not many. So the fans must be rewarded as well. As a Tennessee fan for my entire life I don’t remember talking smack to Vandy fan because we beat them again. It was a given, and you just smugly laughed under your breath. They knew they were going to lose. They accepted it, and they embraced it. Over the past two seasons I have been subjected to the ridiculous barbs and taunts of Vandy fans. They act as if they have dominated Tennessee for a lifetime. Remember in my lifetime of 52 years they have won 4 times, but you would think they had never lost to a team in orange.

I have heard the “This is our State” chant. They have even played the “I don’t even see Tennessee as a rival anymore” card. Are you kidding me? By the way, can you tell I am getting angry by how hard I am hitting the keys? I, uh well we, can’t take it anymore.

So in conclusion, I have stated the reasons that this may be the most important game for Tennessee for a while. Momentum, recruiting, extra practice, and fan base. These are the reasons. I have also come to the conclusion that this is personal….to me. So that is probably the real reason it is the most important game.